Agricultural/Garden Service Engineer

Also known as:

Farm Machinery Mechanic
Garden Machinery Mechanic
Mechanic, Agricultural/Garden
Land Based Service Engineer

Introduction

Agricultural/garden service engineers service and repair a variety of farm/garden vehicles and machines. They may work in garage workshops or visit customers to carry out repairs.

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Work Activities

Agricultural and garden service engineers maintain and repair a wide variety of agricultural and garden machinery. For example, they may work on machinery that is used to cut crops, bale hay, plant seeds and plough fields. In horticultural units, they work on mowers, chain saws and cultivation machinery.

Service engineers use their technical knowledge to diagnose and repair faults. They may have to take an engine apart, replace broken or worn parts and put the machine back together. They also repair other parts of the machinery, for example, the gearbox or the hand brake. Service engineers use special tools; their repairs may also involve skilled techniques such as welding.

When service engineers maintain or repair a machine, they make sure that everything is working properly. They may replace old parts, and check or change the oil and brake fluid. They follow manufacturers' schedules and procedures.

Increasingly, service engineers use computers to keep records, and other computerised equipment to test machinery. Driving tractors and other vehicles is another aspect of their work. They may have to work out and help prepare estimates for their customers. When stocks of spare parts are running low, the service engineer may order new parts by filling in a special order form.

Agricultural/garden service engineers work indoors in workshops, often in dirty and greasy conditions, and outdoors in the field. When working outdoors, conditions can be cold, wet, messy and smelly. For certain jobs mechanics have to wear protective clothing in order to work safely.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You must have good practical skills and a high level of interest in technical subjects. You need to be physically fit to cope with bending, lifting and stretching. You have to be able to handle small parts and hand tools.

You should be logical and patient in tracing faults, and have good organisational skills to prioritise your workload. It is important for service engineers to have good communication skills; they need to explain faults and repairs clearly to people who may not have a technical background.

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Pay and Opportunities

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Agricultural/garden service engineers earn £260 - £350 a week, rising to £380 - £450 a week.

They work a basic 39-hour week, which may include irregular hours, early starts, late finishes, weekend work and call-out at short notice, especially in the busy summer harvesting season.

Employers include agricultural/garden machinery contractors, agricultural/garden machinery manufacturers and retail dealers. Some larger farms and horticultural units employ their own service engineers.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

A farming, horticultural or mechanical engineering background, or similar experience, is an advantage when applying for agricultural/horticultural college courses.

Modern Apprenticeships may be available in some areas.

• 13% of people in occupations such as agricultural/garden service engineer have flexible hours.
• 2% work on a temporary basis.

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New Developments

Some people working in this occupation may be involved in the green jobs sector in areas such as conservation or countryside management.